This is being written in response to the Sept. 28 editorial regarding detailed physical fitness reports.
I agree that many of our children are overweight, but why are we making it the responsibility of the public school system to combat it? They only provide one meal a day, in most cases, and are not in control of students' eating habits away from school. Most kids are snacking on fatty, starchy, sugary foods after school and sitting around playing video games, xBox, on computer, listening to music, some other electronic gadget or just watching the boob tube.
If Mom and Dad have not had good eating habits at home, more than likely, neither will the children. And, where does personal responsibility for our actions come into the equation?
What standards will the school systems be held to? Most systems have gotten waivers from participating in the hiring of an in-house nurse to check the body-mass index of all students periodically because the expense was prohibitive.
I realize physical fitness classes have been reduced because so many more technological courses are being offered and students are going out to vocational schools for classes.
All I've heard about the new dietary offerings are that students are hungry a couple hours after eating and most of the vegetables are being thrown out. Kids actually are setting up strikes at their schools. Will the garbage police arrive and weigh the refuse determining too much was thrown away and the school will be penalized?
All the school system can do is offer and encourage more physical activity and making better choices for their meals because they are not with them 24 hours a day. And, isn't that Mom and Dad's job anyway?
Bonnie Daniel,
Tiffin
